Launch Vehicle Collaborative Robust Optimal Design with Multiobjective Aspect and uncertainties

Considering uncertainties in the design process is one of the most important factors to achieve reasonable and reliable results. In this article, a collaborative structure, which is a multidisciplinary design optimization, is combined with a robust design approach to design an optimum and robust launch vehicle, while considering the effects of uncertainties. First, a liquid-fuel vehicle is designed under two disciplines to send a 1200 kg mass to the 750 km orbit from the earth surface with 50.7◦ orbital inclination, using the collaborative structure. It should be said that the first discipline includes three subsystems that are engine design, geometry design and estimating the mass. Also, the second discipline includes three subsystems that are pitch program, aerodynamic calculations and trajectory simulation. Then, the optimum collaborative output is combined with the robust design in a multi-objective model to achieve the final vehicle configuration. The results show that the calculated mass of the first stage of the project using the collaborative robust design process is 3 tons heavier than the calculated mass using optimum collaborative design approach and the engines working time is increased. The overall size of the launch vehicle is increased too. The outputs of each subsystem have been evaluated and also, the overall results have been compared with another design process, i.e. MDF. This comparison shows the acceptable accuracy of the proposed approach.